Teva, NACHC and Direct Relief Provide Important Insights on Prescription Medicine Access for Underserved Patients at the AAM Conference

BALTIMORE, Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at GRx + Biosims: Engineering the Future of Generic + Biosimilar Medicines, the Association for Accessible Medicines' (AAM) annual industry conference, a panel that examined prescription medicine access for patients who are uninsured, underinsured or affected by disasters was led by Amalia Adler-Waxman, VP, Social Impact & Responsibility, Teva Pharmaceuticals; Direct Relief's Director of US Programs, Damon Taugher and Malvise A. Scott, Senior VP Partnership and Resource Development, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

Over 1,000 leaders participated in this highly-regarded conference with the goal of sharing relevant news, best practices and meaningful insights taking place within the pharmaceutical industry.  AAM continues to seek to improve access to prescription medicines; many of its members are among generous donors of essential and specialty medicines required for good health.

With over 100 corporate healthcare partners, Direct Relief collaborates with numerous AAM member companies. The organizations' generous donations of prescription medicines allow access for underserved patients who would likely go without otherwise.

"Generic chronic disease medicines are critically important for the health of uninsured and underserved patients, as well as those impacted by natural disasters or emergencies, and Direct Relief is deeply grateful for the donations it receives from generic manufacturers of high-quality, FDA-approved medicines," said Taugher, speaking on today's AAM panel. "Support from generic pharmaceutical companies like Teva Pharmaceuticals results in improved care for patients at Direct Relief's safety-net partners in the US and across a vast network of public hospitals and clinics globally."  

Teva Pharmaceuticals is the world's leading generic pharmaceuticals company and has a long and impressive history of corporate social responsibility by providing both financial and prescription product support to its partners.  Adler-Waxman said, "Teva takes its commitment to continue to improve access to affordable quality medicines seriously.  Our product donations are pivotal to this commitment and we accomplish this by donating viable and requested medicines to our medical relief partners that have been fully vetted, audited and qualified to properly handle, store, distribute and report on the humanitarian product donations that we provide."

Adler-Waxman added, "Direct Relief has been Teva's principal partner over the past decade in which our medical products have been jointly provided to improve care for the underserved in 86 countries, including in the US." This program also supports Teva's contribution to addressing the rising burden of NCDs, where many of its donated products ensure access to those suffering from CVD, diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer, pain as well as antibiotics."

Teva and Direct Relief have also worked together to advance best practices and innovation around improved care for Multiple Chronic Conditions patients and are developing tools to help safety-net providers in the US and internationally to better care for their patients with more than one chronic disease.     

Ms. Scott commented, "NACHC is grateful for the significant commitment that Teva and Direct Relief have made to provide vital medicines to so many of our community health centers.  These donated medicines make a vital difference in restoring the health of millions of underserved American patients who have diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory illness and that lack prescription insurance or financial means."  With a membership of over 1,400 health center member entities, NACHC affiliated health centers care for over 28 million uninsured or underinsured Americans with primary care services, as well as various specialty medical services depending on the individual clinic.  

About Direct Relief
Established in 1948 with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world—without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and all 50 states in the U.S., Direct Relief is the only charitable nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) accreditation by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief earns a perfect score of 100 from independent evaluator Charity Navigator, was listed among the world's most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, and has received the CECP Directors' Award, the Drucker Prize for Nonprofit Innovation, and the President's Award from Esri for excellence in GIS mapping. For more information, please visit  https://www.directrelief.org/ 

About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a global leader in generic medicines, with innovative treatments in select areas, including CNS, pain and respiratory. We deliver high-quality generic products and medicines in nearly every therapeutic area to address unmet patient needs. We have an established presence in generics, specialty, OTC and API, building on more than a century-old legacy, with a fully integrated R&D function, strong operational base and global infrastructure and scale. We strive to act in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Headquartered in Israel, with production and research facilities around the globe, we employ 45,000 professionals, committed to improving the lives of millions of patients. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com.

About NACHC
The National Association of Community Health Centers was founded in 1971, with a mission to promote the provision of high quality, comprehensive and affordable health care that is coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent, and community directed for all medically underserved populations. NACHC is the membership organization for community health centers nationwide, which provide primary and preventive health care to over to 28 million people from more than 10,000 sites. www.nachc.org

SOURCE Direct Relief

Related Links

http://www.directrelief.org